SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: The Worst in the World
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Durham
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: English
LAST VOLUME: SATA 344
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born January 3, 1946, in Sunderland, England; son of William and Freda Deary; married Jennifer Trick (a teacher), January 3, 1975; children: Sara.
EDUCATION:Sunderland College of Education, Teacher’s Certificate, 1968.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and actor. Red House School, Sunderland, England, teacher, 1968-72; Breconshire Theatre Company, Powys (formerly Breconshire), Wales, actor, 1972-75; Lowestoft Theatre Centre, Suffolk, England, director, 1975-77; Kirkley High School, Suffolk, teacher, 1977-79; Tynewear Theatre Company, Newcastle, England, theatre education officer, 1979-80; Hetton School, Hetton, England, drama teacher and department head, 1983-87; Sunderland Schools, Sunderland, educational advisor, 1987—. Writer and presenter of children’s educational magazine programs for British Broadcasting Corporation Radio, Durham, England, 1970-71. Performer of one-man show The Terry Deary History Roadshow, 2000-03.
AVOCATIONS:Distance running.
MEMBER:British Actors Equity Association.
AWARDS:Named Outstanding Children’s Non-Fiction Author of the Twentieth Century, Books For Keeps, 1999; Blue Peter Book Awards for “The Best Book of Knowledge,” BBC Children’s Program, 2000, for The Terrible Tudors, and 2001, for Rotten Romans; honorary D.Ed., Sunderland University, 2000; Sheffield Children’s Book Award, 2011, and Carnegie Medal nomination, 2012, both for Put out the Light; Blue Peter Book Award for Best Nonfiction Author of the Century.
POLITICS: “Anarchist.” RELIGION: “Existentialist.”WRITINGS
Stories anthologized in books, including Thrilling Stories of Mystery and Adventure, Hamlyn (London, England), 1982, and Spine Chilling Stories, Longman (London, England), 1987. Author of scripts for television series Henry VIII’s Wives, for BBC, and Terry Deary’s Twisted Tales, for ITV. Author of radio series Terrible Tales of Wales, broadcast on BBC Wales, 2005.
Horrible Christmas was adapted for the stage as Crackers Christmas, 2000. The “Horrible Histories” series was adapted for audiobook, read by the author, BBC Audiobooks, 2002; selections were adapted for the stage in collaboration with Birmingham Stage Company, beginning 2006; and the series was adapted as a television series, British Broadcasting Corporation, 2009. Ruthless Romans was adapted for a computer game, Slitherine, 2010.
SIDELIGHTS
A British writer who has penned stories for both children and young adults, Terry Deary is best known for his “Horrible Histories” series, a collection of witty, gory, and subversive nonfiction books designed to make seemingly dull subjects interesting to even the most reluctant of readers. In addition to the “Horrible Histories” books, Deary has written dozens of mystery, fantasy, and horror tales for young audiences, such as Dark Knights and Dingy Castles.
More than twenty-five-million copies of the “Horrible History” books have been sold world wide, and the tales have been adapted as a television series as well as into several stage plays. According to London Telegraph contributor Cole Moreton, “Horrible Histories became popular because they were so much funnier, bloodier and naughtier than anything taught in schools,” and Sue Unstead noted in Books for Keeps that the author’s “strong authorial voice … distinguishes his books in a field where bland encyclopedic information is too often the norm.” The frankness and educational aspects of the books, which promise “history with the nasty bits left in,” have resonated with children and adults alike; as Lyn Gardner wrote in the London Guardian, “it is now impossible to find anyone with a bad word to say about the Horrible Histories.”
Deary first began writing plays and novels for children while working as a teacher in England. Books that caught the interest of his students were hard to come by: as he once recalled to SATA, “Many stories fulfilled some of my criteria but few fulfilled all. As a teacher, I wanted a story with pace and humor written in accessible language. But I also wanted sufficient depth of characterization for readers to care about what happened to the protagonist; I wanted to see the conflicts resolved through the exercise of resourcefulness, not through the exercise of violence.” To make up for the lack of suitable books, Deary began writing his own, and his novel The Custard Kid appeared in 1978.
Deary’s other tales for young readers include The Lambton Worm, The Joke Factory, and Shadow Play. The Lambton Worm is based on an English folktale in which an evil insect awaits the first misstep of a member of the wealthy Lambton family. When fifteen-year-old John Lambton sneaks out of the castle one night to go fishing and hooks the creature, he unleashes a being that threatens to destroy the world. A Junior Bookshelf reviewer called The Lambton Worm a “funny, facetious, felicitous fantasy” that “will stand retelling.”
The Joke Factory mixes a genie, a magic ring, and a man who just cannot stop telling jokes into a story that School Librarian contributor Joyce Banks noted contains “elements of suspense and spookiness” blended with jokes that appeal to elementary-aged children. In Shadow Play, a murder mystery, Deary introduces actor Graham Gooden, who finds himself suddenly mixing with an odd lot of people when he takes an acting job at a new theatre. School Librarian commentator Doris Telford noted of Shadow Play that “the pace never flags and there is an exciting climax.”
Deary turns to science fiction in Vanished! , a novel originally published as The Philadelphia Experiment and which became the first book in his “Classified” series. As a Publishers Weekly critic noted, Vanished! is a “compellingly designed volume … [that] is likely to be devoured by young X-Files fans.” The heroine of the work, a math genius and computer hacker named Alice Henreid, is recruited by secret agents to join the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Vanished! also includes graphic elements that resemble the classified files of the DIA, as well as newspaper clippings and suspect profiles. The book also educates readers in the realms of science by presenting concepts such as Einstein’s Unified Field Theory and magnetism. Other volumes in the “Classified” series include Alien Landing, and The Nuclear Winter Man.
In the middle-grade fantasy The Fire Thief, Deary recounts the mythical story of Prometheus in his typical satirical fashion. After being punished for stealing fire from the gods, Prometheus is given a challenging task by Zeus before being allowed his freedom: find a human who is as heroic as a god. Journeying to Eden City in the year 1858, and pursued by the eagle that has been feeding on his liver, Prometheus meets a pair of roguish burglars who find themselves in hot water. The time traveler must decide if he should use his powers to help his new friends, knowing that if he does so the eagle will discover his location. “Deary handles the time travel device with aplomb, whizzing back and forth across the centuries with many a knowing aside to his audience and footnotes providing a wry commentary on events,” noted David Whetstone in the Newcastle Journal.
In a sequel set in 1795, Flight of the Fire Thief, Prometheus attempts to bring peace to Eden City. Continuing his search for a true hero, he is also pursued by the ravenous eagle, which has by now been joined by Achilles, Paris, and a hellish monster known as Hecatonchires. Finding Eden City under siege by the Wild Folk, Prometheus teams with Nell Dee, a twelve-year-old stage performer, to save the Wild Folk’s princess and end the hostilities. Deary’s “style is very lively and broad humour and sarcastic footnotes add to the appeal,” Elizabeth McConnell noted in her appraisal of Flight of the Fire Thief for Books for Keeps.
The final volume in Deary’s novel trilogy, The Fire Thief Fights Back, introduces Sam, a young con man who sells useless “miracle cures” as part of his mother’s medicine show. When the citizens of Eden City discover the ruse, they threaten to run Sam out of town until Prometheus intervenes. To return the favor, the teen agrees to help the time traveler battle seven creatures from Greek mythology, including Cerberus, the three-headed dog tasked with guarding the gates of Hades. “Another time-twisting, speedy and zany adventure unfolds” here, Megan Lynn Isaac noted in her Voice of Youth Advocates review of The Fire Thief Fights Back.
Deary has several works of historical fiction to his credit, among them novels such as Put out the Light and the stories contained in series such as “Greek Tales,” “Viking Tales,” “Victorian Tales,” and “World War I Tales.” Set during World War II, Put out the Light focuses on children from opposing sides of the twentieth-century conflict. In Sheffield, England, Sally and Billy Thomas try to track down a burglar who commits crimes during air-raid warnings. Meanwhile, in Dachau, Germany, two boys try to help a Polish girl escape from a slave labor camp. As the children’s paths cross in a most unexpected way, “every chapter is a history lesson,” observed School Librarian critic Rebecca Chappell, the critic deeming Put out the Light “thrilling.”
Another of Deary’s works of historical fiction is his 2018 volume, The Silver Hand. The novel is set during World War I and focuses on a French girl named Aimee. Aimee’s village, Bray-on-Somme, has experienced much tumult during the conflict. Toward the beginning of the war, the British Army took over the town. Later, the Germans invaded it, driving the British forces out. Aimee learns that operatives connected to the French resistance are active in her town, and she is surprised to find out that her mother is involved with a resistance group called the White Lady. Aimee gets to know an officer in the British Army named Sergeant Grimm. With a metal prosthetic hand (referred to in the book’s title), the treacherous Grimm claims to have lost his hand while attempting to help a fellow soldier. Aimee discovers that Grimm has been colluding with the Germans and has devised a plan that will harm the British Army. Aimee eventually develops a friendship with a young German, Marius, despite being on opposing sides of the war. Marius becomes her travel companion as Aimee flees Bray-on-Somme, escaping the wrath of Sergeant Grimm. They travel through France with Grimm not far behind them, fearing that he will eventually find them and silence them for good.
Among Deary’s works of nonfiction is True Ghost Stories, part of a series that includes True Crime Stories and True Horror Stories. Each collection contains tales based in both fact and folklore. Readers learn, for instance, about the legend of the Flying Dutchman, the sinking of the Titanic, and the story of convicted ax-murderer Lizzie Borden. Of True Ghost Stories (more-recently published as Terry Deary’s Terribly True Ghost Stories ), Pam Harwood opined in Books for Keeps that the volume’s nine stories are “perfect for reading on dark winter nights.”
Anti-establishment to the core, Deary believes the success of his “Horrible Histories” series is due in large part to the fact that he is NOT a student of history. “My agenda is not so much history as human behaviour,” he told London Telegraph interviewer Sinclair McKay. “Why do people behave the way they do? That is what I try to answer through nonfiction and fiction. When you understand that then the world becomes a better place. Because people look at each other and try to understand one another.” In an interview with Neal Foster, a contributor to the Corn Exchange Newbury website, Deary explained: “Nobody had done anything like them before and they filled a desperate need. There were fact books for children but they tended to be written by experts on the subject. They knew their history but they didn’t have a clue how to write about it for children. So with ‘Horrible Histories,’ instead of an expert who couldn’t write, they approached a children’s author who knew nothing about history. I get all my facts from research. … I say I am not an expert in history and this is why they work.” Deary told Chris Smith, a writer on the Stratford Herald website: “I write for people, human beings and children are human beings, if adults like it then it’s not a surprise, I get as many letters from adults as I do from children saying they enjoy [‘Horrible Histories] so that’s great.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Birmingham Post (Birmingham, England), January 7, 2010, Jayne Howarth, review of The Knight of Swords and Spooks, p. 9.
Books for Keeps, January, 1996, Pam Harwood, review of True Ghost Stories, p. 11; July, 2003, Sue Unstead, profile of Deary; January, 2007, Elizabeth McConnell, review of Flight of the Fire Thief; September, 2007, Caroline Heaton, reviews of The Boy Who Cried Horse and The Tortoise and the Dare; November, 2009, Anne Faundez, reviews of The Knight of Silk and Steel and The Knight of Spurs and Spirits; November, 2010, Janet Fisher, review of Put out the Light; March, 2001, Rudolf Loewenstein, reviews of The Hand of the Viking Warrior and The Sword of the Viking King.
Books for Your Children, fall-winter, 1986, review of A Witch in Time, p. 12.
Guardian (London, England), May 10, 2003, Lyn Gardner, review of “Horrible Histories” series, p. 32; August 12, 2003, John Crace, author interview, p. 4; July 13, 2012, John Henley, author interview.
Journal (Newcastle, England), October 7, 2006, David Whetstone, author interview and review of The Fire Thief, p. 44; August 26, 2008, Barbara Hodgson, author interview, p. 22.
Junior Bookshelf, April, 1982, review of The Lambton Worm, p. 65.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2005, review of The Fire Thief, p. 912.
Publishers Weekly, November 15, 2004, review of Classified: Vanished!, p. 60.
School Librarian, February, 1992, Joyce Banks, review of The Joke Factory, p. 22; fall, 2007, Wendy Axford, review of The Fire Thief Fights Back, p. 136; fall, 2010, Rebecca Chappell, review of Put out the Light, p. 162; fall, 2012, Peter Andrews, review of Terror on the Train, p. 162; winter, 2013, Charles Harvey, review of The Last Flight, p. 232; fall, 2018, Jo Sennitt, review of The Silver Hand, p. 168.
School Library Journal, November, 1992, Doris Telford, review of Shadow Play, p. 157; May, 1996, reviews of Disaster, Spooks, Terror, and Mystery, all p. 77; January, 1997, Ann G. Brouse, reviews of True Ghost Stories and True Horror Stories, both p. 122; summer, 1998, reviews of The Prince of Rags and Patches and The King in Blood Red and Gold, both p. 91; fall, 1999, reviews of Even More Terrible Tudors and The Frightful First World War, both p. 148; winter, 2004, Dorothy Atkinson, review of The Boy Who Haunted Himself, p. 215; January, 2006, Marilyn Taniguchi, review of The Fire Thief, p. 130; December, 2006, Nancy Silverrod, review of The Wicked History of the World, p. 161; March, 2007, Walter Minkel, review of Flight of the Fire Thief, p. 208.
Sunday Times (London, England), April 15, 2012, profile of Deary, p. 21; April 13, 2014, Josh Glancy, author interview, p. 8.
Telegraph (London, England), September 1, 2009, Sinclair McKay, author interview; May 11, 2013, Cole Moreton, author interview.
Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 2007, Megan Lynn Isaac, review of The Fire Thief Fights Back, p. 63.
ONLINE
Big Issue, https://www.bigissue.com/ (February 16, 2018), Vicky Carroll, author interview.
Bolton News, https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/ (December 24, 2018), Saiqa Chaudhari, author interview.
ChronicleLive, https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/ (February 16, 2018), Vicky Carroll, author interview.
Corn Exchange Newbury, https://cornexchangenew.com/ (January 11, 2019), Neal Foster, author interview.
History Vault, https://thehistoryvault.co.uk/ (March 6, 2019), author interview.
iNews, https://inews.co.uk/ (February 1, 2017), Etan Smallman, author interview.
Stratford Herald, http://www.stratford-herald.com/ (March 25, 2016), Chris Smith, author interview.
Terry Deary website, http://www.terry-deary.com (February 1, 2015).*
Writer
Welcome to my website. I'm Terry Deary ®, professional actor, singer and writer for stage, television, movies and radio.
To see me in action why not have a look at a sample of a TV idea called "Stranger than fiction" HERE
I am also the writer of 341 books - fiction and non-fiction - published in the past 46 years, selling over 38+ million copies in 45 languages. My first murder-mystery for adults will be published in 2025 and non-fiction for adults in September 2024.
My best-known children's book titles are the "Horrible Histories" series, first published 30 years ago and still popular thanks to a CBBC television series, theatre shows and a movie based on the books. There are around 100 "Horrible Histories" titles. Readers interested in the HH books can see how they came about HERE. From 2024 I'll be writing adult fiction and non-fiction books for a new audience.
I have written 160 children's novels, as well as the non-fiction, If you have a question then I can be contacted by email at THIS PAGE . I try to answer ALL messages from genuine fans within a week of receiving them.
See me present some quirky television documentaries HERE and HERE as well as my "Great North Run Tales" HERE
Enjoy the site, it's good to see you.
Terry was born in Sunderland, England, on 3 January 1946 (aged 77) and now lives in County Durham, in the North-East of England.
Terry's father (Billy) was a butcher in Hendon, Sunderland, and his mother (Freda) was the manageress of a clothing shop. He worked many years in his father's butcher shop as a boy. It was better than school.
Terry began his career as a professional actor in 1972 when he joined Theatre Powys in Mid-Wales. He has also worked as a theatre-director, museum manager, drama teacher, television presenter and (his favourite job) Country Music singer. He still acts on stage and appears in 'The Terry Deary History Roadshow' around Britain - an entertainment with songs and stories for family audiences.
In 2009 CBBC Television launched a major television series of his Horrible Histories which has gone on to win many awards.
Terry's latest theatre work includes productions with Birmingham Stage Company on 'Horrible Histories - Terrible Thames' plays that are performed aboard cruise vessels on the River Thames.
'Horrible Histories - Rotten Romans: The Movie' was released in Summer 2019 with Terry appearing in a small role.
In his spare time Terry is a road runner with Derwentside Athletic Club and takes part in races from 3 miles up to the Great North Run 13.1 miles, which he's done 25 times. See the videos he made HERE. He has written the script for a Documentary Feature Film to commemorate the 40th running of the Great North Run in 2021, "The Great North - a run, a river, a region".
In 2024 he will branch out into a new career of writing murder-mystery stories for adults and non-fiction for adults.
FAQ
Why did you start writing?
Lewis Carroll told a story about a place called Wonderland to a little girl called Alice. The little girl said, "You should write it down or it will disappear". So he wrote "Alice in Wonderland" which became a classic book. I was an actor in a touring Welsh theatre company, performing very popular plays, especially children's plays in school. I decided to write those plays down as stories "before they disappeared". The first one was called "The Custard Kid", written in 1975 and published in 1977. It's a great feeling to see your name on the cover of a book. I wanted to see that. Even though I have published over 200 books I still get a thrill from seeing a new book of mine when it's published. Is that being big-headed?
How long does it take you to write a book?
A book takes me between six hours and six weeks to write, depending on how long it is and how difficult it is to get the information together. Some authors take ten years or more to write a single book. I wrote in 2008 - one book every three weeks. Plus I will be writing television scripts, radio and theatre scripts and acting in stage, television and radio productions. I also need to find time to manage three businesses. Of course I work six days a week - Sunday is my only day off. In March 2009 I wrote six books in 4 weeks.
Where do you get your ideas?
I'm a writer. It's my job. I don't have to go anywhere or do anything to "get" ideas. They are already in my head.
Where do you write?
I work from my home in County Durham (though I started when I lived in Suffolk). Writers should be able to write anywhere and not worry about what is going on around them. I used to be able to do that but now I seem to work better with a bit of peace and quiet. My writing place is now a special place. It is a small room in the roof of the house. The window looks out over a valley and on a clear day I can see the sea 20 miles away. My room is connected to the rest of the world by telephone and computer lines so it never gets lonely though I may spend 12 hours a day there.
Do you use a computer?
I work on a computer and have done for the last twenty years. Publishers will not accept books written by hand. I used to use a typewriter but computers make it so easy to change work, correct mistakes, count words and check for spellings. I can't imagine ever being without a computer now!
What is your favourite book that you wrote?
The favourite book series that I've written are probably 'The Fire Thief' trilogy and the four books in the 'Master Crook's Crime Academy' series. I am hoping to turn both into movies or television series in the future.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I have never wanted to be a writer. I have always wanted to play football for Sunderland! When I was a kid I read a book by Enid Blyton. All her characters were so posh I thought, "I could never be like that! I could never write books about children like that because they are rich and go to private schools!" Hopefully the books I write can be read by anyone, no matter what sort of homes they have or what sort of schools they go to. But, when I can afford to, I will give up writing and become a full-time actor.
How many books have you published?
By September 2017 I'll have published 300 books in the UK. Many have been translated into 40 languages and appear in another 1000 editions around the world. But I have probably written nearer a 350. Not everything I write gets published. Some writers spend all their lives writing books and never get anything published so In guess I must be very lucky.
Why did you start writing Horrible Histories?
I started writing Horrible Histories in 1992 because a publisher asked me to write a funny history book. I know nothing about history myself – researchers dig up all the facts. My job as a children's author is to present those facts in a way that will entertain them and not send them to sleep the way school history lessons do. I believe the books are a success because I am not an historian.
Will you write a "Horrible Histories" book about my country or my favourite subject?
Sadly I cannot choose what "Horrible Histories" titles I write. The publisher chooses the new titles and picks the ones that they think will sell the most copies in the UK. They then ask me if I'd like to write them. If you have a request for a "Horrible Histories" title then contact the publisher, Scholastic Children's Books.
Do you have any tips for me if I want to become a writer.
My favourite author Raymond Chandler said, "Trying to help people to write is all waste. The people whom God or nature intended to be writers find their own answers. And those who have to ask are impossible to help. They are merely people who want to be writers". In other words you can't become a writer – you are born a writer, or you're not. If you are NOT then find out what you ARE good at and do it.
I am writing a book. Will you read it, Terry?
I am not able to read books that haven't been published. There are legal reasons for this. Any stories or manuscripts that are received at this email address have to be deleted instantly. Sorry! Writers who need a reader to advise must contact an agent or a publisher.
Chandler also said : "Don't ever write anything you don't like yourself and if you do like it, don't take anyone's advice about changing it. They just don't know." That is to say, don't listen to teachers. Teachers can't teach you how to write ... if they knew how they would be writers not teachers.
Terry Deary
UK flag (b.1946)
Terry Deary is the author of 180 books in the UK (with about 550 more foreign editions) mainly for children and teenagers. His books are sold in 38 languages from Russia to Brazil, Scandinavia to China.
He was born in Sunderland, England, in 1946 and now lives in County Durham, in the North-east of England. Terry is a former actor, theatre-director and museum manager.
Genres: Children's Fiction
Series
Ganders
Skeleton in the Cupboard (1988)
Bad Bart and Billy the Brave (1989)
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Comet
The Dream Seller (1988)
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Egyptian Tales
The Magic and the Mummy (1990)
The Gold in the Grave (2004)
The Phantom and the Fisherman (2004)
The Plot on the Pyramid (2004)
The Phantom of the Nile (2017)
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True Stories
True Monster Stories (1992)
True Horror Stories (1993)
True Crime Stories (1994)
True Shark Stories (1995)
True Ghost Stories (1995)
True Detective Stories (1996)
True UFO Stories (1997)
True War Stories (1997)
True Spy Stories (1998)
True Horror Stories / True Monster Storie / True Ghost Stories (1998)
True Disaster Stories (1999)
Terribly True Crime Stories (2006)
Terribly True Shark Stories (2006)
Terribly True Disaster Stories (2006)
Terribly True Ghost Stories (2006)
True Mystery Stories (2012)
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Horrible Histories
The Terrible Tudors (1993)
The Awesome Egyptians (1993)
The Vicious Vikings (1994)
The Vile Victorians (1994)
The Groovy Greeks (1995)
Groovy Greeks / Rotten Romans / Awesome Egyptians (1996)
Dreadful Diary (1996)
The Measly Middle Ages (1996)
Poisonous Postcards (1997)
The Rotten Romans (1997)
Cut-throat Celts (1997)
The Angry Aztecs (1997)
Even More Terrible Tudors (1998)
The Savage Stone Age (1999)
Gorgeous Georgians / Vile Victorians (1999)
The Woeful Second World War (1999)
The Horribly Huge Quiz Book (2000)
The Incredible Incas (2000)
Horrible Christmas (2000)
The Barmy British Empire (2002)
Brat Pack: Measly Middle Ages (2002)
Cruel Crimes and Painful Punishments (2002)
The Terrible Tudors Awful Anniversary Pack (2003)
Ruthless Romans (2003)
The Wicked History of the World (2003)
The Blitzed Brits (2004)
The Frightful First World War (2004)
The Gorgeous Georgians (2004)
The Slimy Stuarts (2004)
The Smashing Saxons (2004)
The Stormin' Normans (2004)
Awesome Egyptians Activity Book (2004)
Vile Victorians Activity Book (2004)
Villainous Victorians (2004)
The Mad Miscellany (2004)
Groovy Greeks Activity Book (2004)
Vicious Vikings Sticker Book (2004)
Rotten Romans Sticker Book (2004)
Loathsome London (2005)
Edinburgh (2005)
Measly Middle Ages Activity Book (2005)
Slimy Stuarts Sticker Book (2005)
Blitz (2009)
Horribly Huge Press-out-and-build Book (2009)
Who's Horrible in History (2009)
Egypt - A High-Speed History (2010)
Tudors - A High-Speed History (2010)
Knights a High Speed History (2011)
Rome - A High-Speed History (2011)
Cruel Crime (2012)
Deadly Days in History (2013)
Horrible Histories Annual 2015 (2014)
Horrible Histories Big Fat Christmas Book (2014)
Top 50 Kings and Queens (2015)
Terrible Timeline (2015)
Horrible Histories Christmas Sticker Activity Book (2015)
Top 50 Villains (2016)
This is a Horrible Journal (2016)
Crackin' Castles (2016)
This is a Horrible Book of Foul Fact (2016)
Gruesome Guide to Edinburgh (2017)
Gruesome Guide to Oxford (2017)
Gruesome Guide to Stratford-upon-Avon (2017)
Gruesome Guide to York (2017)
Gruesome Great Houses (2017)
All at Sea (2020)
Up in the Air (2021)
The Secret Diary of Henry VIII (2021)
The Secret Diary of Queen Victoria (2021)
Right On Track (2022) (with Martin Brown)
The Secret Diary of Boudica (2022)
Ghosts (2022)
William the Conqueror's Secret Diary (2022)
The Worst in the World (2023)
On the Road (2023)
Terrible Thames (2023)
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All Aboard
All Aboard (1995)
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Horrible Histories Special
Cruel Kings and Mean Queens (1995)
Wicked Words (1996)
Dark Knights and Dingy Castles (1997)
Rowdy Revolutions (1999)
Ireland (2000)
The USA (2001)
The Awesome Ancient Quiz Book (2001)
France (2002)
The Twentieth Century (2004)
England (2004)
Rotten Rulers (2005)
Wales (2008)
Scotland (2009)
The Beastly Best Bits (2013)
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Classified
The Philadelphia Experiment (1996)
Discovery at Roswell (1996)
Encounter on the Moon (1996)
Alien Landing (1996)
Break Out! (1996)
The Nuclear Winter Man (1996)
Vanished! (1996)
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History Mystery
The Real Joan of Arc? (1996)
The Truth About Guy Fawkes? (1996)
Who Killed Kit Marlowe? (1996)
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Truly Terrible Tales
Explorers (1997)
Inventors (1997)
Scientists (1997)
Writers (1997)
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Tudor Terror
1. The Prince of Rags and Patches (1997)
2. The King in Blood Red and Gold (1997)
3. The Lady of Fire and Tears (1998)
4. The Knight of Stars and Storms (1998)
5. The Lord of the Dreaming Globe (1998)
6. The Queen of the Dying Light (1999)
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Spark Files
1. Space Race (1998)
2. Chop and Change (1998)
3. Shock Tactics (1998)
4. Bat and Bell (1998)
5. Dog Run (1999)
6. Dark Forces (1999)
7. Light and Wrong (1999)
8. Magical Magnets (1999)
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Horrible Histories Novelty
Mad Millenium Play (1999)
The Massive Millennium Quiz Book (1999)
Terrible Trenches Field Book (2018)
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Time Detectives
1. The Witch of Nightmare Avenue (2000)
2. The Pirates of the Dark Park (2000)
3. The Princes in Terror Tower (2000)
4. King Arthur's Bones (2000)
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Tudor Tales
The Actor, the Rebel and the Wrinkled Queen (2003)
The Maid, the Witch and the Cruel Queen (2003)
The Prince, the Cook and the Cunning King (2003)
The Thief, the Fool and the Big Fat King (2003)
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Horrible Histories Non Fiction
Terrible Tudors Sticker Book (2004)
Awesome Activity Book (2007)
Horrible Histories Annual 2010 (2009)
Horrible Histories Annual 2011 (2010)
The Horrible History of Britain and Ireland (2010)
Horrible Histories Annual 2012 (2011)
Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides: Edinburgh (2012)
Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides: London (2012)
Horrible Histories Annual 2013 (2012)
Annual 2014 (2013)
Horrible Histories Annual 2016 (2015)
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thumbthumbthumbthumb
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Fire Thief
1. The Fire Thief (2005)
2. Flight of the Fire Thief (2006)
3. The Fire Thief Fights Back (2007)
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Greek Tales
1. The Lion's Slave (2007)
2. The Tortoise and the Dare (2006)
3. The Town Mouse and the Spartan House (2007)
4. The Boy Who Cried Horse (2010)
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Horrible Histories Handbooks
Pirates (2006)
The Horrible History of the World (2006)
Knights (2006)
Warriors (2007)
Witches (2007)
Villains (2008)
Trenches (2008)
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Terribly True Stories
Terribly True Spy Stories (2006)
Terribly True War Stories (2006)
Terribly True Horror Stories (2006)
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Roman Tales
Goose Guards (2008)
The Captive Celt (2008)
The Fatal Fire (2008)
The Grim Ghost (2008)
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Horrible Histories Gory Stories
Shadow of the Gallows (2008)
Tower of Terror (2008)
Wall of Woe (2008)
Raiders and Ruins (2009)
Blackout in the Blitz (2009)
Pirates and Plunder (2010)
Big Book of Gory stories (2010)
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Knights' Tales
The Knight of Silk and Steel (2009)
The Knight of Spurs and Spirits (2009)
The Knight of Sticks and Straw (2009)
The Knight of Swords and Spooks (2009)
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Horrible Histories Handbook
Spies (2009)
Nasty Knights (2010)
Perilous Pirates (2010)
Wicked Witches (2010)
Wild Warriors (2010)
Terrible Trenches (2011)
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Master Crook's Crime Academy
Burglary for Beginners (2009)
Robbery for Rascals (2009)
Classes In Kidnapping (2009)
Safe Cracking For Students (2010)
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100% Horrible
10 Best Greek Legends Ever (2009)
10 Best Shakespeare Stories Ever (2009)
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Viking Tales
The Battle of the Viking Woman (2010)
The Eye of the Viking God (2010)
The Sword of the Viking King (2010)
The Hand of the Viking Warrior (2010)
The Last Viking (2014)
The Battle for the Viking Gold (2017)
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Pirate Tales
The Pirate Lord (2011)
The Pirate Queen (2011)
The Pirate Prisoner (2011)
The Pirate Captain (2011)
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Victorian Tales
Terror On the Train (2012)
The Fabulous Flyer (2012)
The Sea Monsters (2012)
The Twisted Tunnels (2012)
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World War I Tales
The Last Flight (2013)
The War Game (2013)
The Bomber Balloon (2013)
The Pigeon Spy (2013)
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Dangerous Days
1. Dangerous Days in the Roman Empire (2013)
2. Dangerous Days on the Victorian Railways (2014)
3. Dangerous Days in Elizabethan England (2014)
4. Dangerous Days in Ancient Egypt (2015)
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World War II Tales
1. The Apple Spy (2015)
2. The Bike Escape (2015)
3. The Barrel Burglary (2015)
4. The Phantom Farm (2015)
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Shakespeare Tales
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016)
Macbeth (2016)
Romeo and Juliet (2016)
Twelfth Night (2016)
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Saxon Tales
The King Who Threw Away His Throne (2017)
The Lord Who Lost His Head (2017)
The Shepherd Who Ate His Sheep (2017)
The Witch Who Faced the Fire (2017)
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Stone Age Tales
The Great Cave (2018)
The Great Flood (2018)
The Great Monster (2018)
The Great Storm (2018)
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Wiggott's Wonderful Waxworld
1. Terror Train (2018)
2. Fire Flight (2019)
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Peasants' Revolting
The Peasants' Revolting Crimes (2019)
The Peasants' Revolting Lives (2020)
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Novels
The Real Maria Marten (1979)
Calamity Kate (1980)
Hope Street (1980)
The Lambton Worm (1981)
Twist of the Knife (1981)
The Custard Kid (1982)
Walking Shadows (1983)
The Wishing Well Ghost (1983)
The Silent Scream (1984)
I Met Her on a Rainy Day (1984)
The Windmill of Nowhere (1984)
A Witch in Time (1986)
Treasure of Skull Island (1986)
The Ghosts of Batwing Castle (1988)
Two in to One Won't Go (1990)
Treasure of Grey Manor (1990)
The Treasure of Crazy Horse (1990)
The Joke Factory (1991)
The Great Father Christmas Robbery (1991)
Shadow Play (1992)
Ghost Town (1992)
The Grott Street Gang (1996)
Who Shot Queen Victoria? (1996)
All About Bede (1996)
Potty Politics (1997)
Bloody Scotland (1997)
Top Ten Greek Legends (1998)
Top Ten Shakespeare Stories (1998)
Ghost for Sale (1999)
Greek Legends (1999)
Shakespeare Stories (1999)
Greek Legends Zeus (1999)
The Vampire of Croglin (2000)
aka The Hat Trick
Pitt Street Pirates (2001)
Into the Lion's Den (2002)
Footsteps in the Fog (2003)
War Games (2004)
Dirty Little Imps (2004)
The Boy Who Haunted Himself (2004)
Put Out the Light (2010)
Silver Hand (2018)
An Unlikely Spy (2019)
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Collections
Spine Chilling Stories (1987)
Knockout: Short Stories (1988)
Durham Tales (1993)
Truly Terrible Tales (1997)
Best Ever Shakespeare Tales (2014)
Dick Turpin: Legends and Lies (2014)
Best Ever Greek Legends (2014)
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Non fiction
Teaching through theatre: Six practical projects (1977)
Father Christmas Joke Book (1990)
S'no Joke Book (1992)
Yesterday's Toys and Games (1995)
Big Fat Father Christmas Joke Book (2000)
Vile Villains (2011)
Big Fat Christmas Book (2014)
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Non fiction series
Shivers
Disasters (1995)
Mysteries (1995)
Spooks (1995)
Terror (1995)
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Spark Files Flip Quiz
1. The Secrets of Science (2000)
2. How Things Work (2000)
3. Mysteries of the Human Body (2000)
4. The Wonders of Maths (2000)
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Horrible Histories TV Tie-in
Terrifying Tudors (2009)
Horribly Hilarious Joke Book (2009)
The Awful Egyptians (2010)
Horrible Histories Frightfully Funny Quiz Book (2010)
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Horrible Histories : Gruesome Guides
Dublin (2010)
Oxford (2010)
Stratford-upon-Avon (2010)
York (2010)
London (2016)
Q&A with Horrible Histories author, Terry Deary
The author of the wildly-successful Horrible Histories books talks about his work ahead of the hilarious stage show at The Elgiva...
February 19, 2022
Q: When you wrote your first Horrible Histories did you ever imagine the idea would go on to be so successful?
A: Yes, I think most authors believe their work will be a huge success even though most books disappear from print after a couple of months. It’s that hope that keeps us going. When I wrote my very first fiction book44years ago my publisher said, ‘writing is like a sausage machine and you have to keep stuffing in at one end so something comes out the other end – it is like a process’. I kept writing book after book – fifty fiction titles before HH came along – but I never imagined I would have a series which would become first of all iconic and secondly that would still be selling more than 28 years later. Roald Dahl has managed that, but I can’t think of anyone else who is still selling so well. What usually happens is that people have sensational ideas and they sell really well for a while but they do tend to come and go. It is a shame you can’t predict which are the ones that will last.
Q: What do you believe is behind the popularity of Horrible Histories?
A: Nobody had done anything like them before and they filled a desperate need. There were fact books for children but they tended to be written by experts on the subject. They knew their history but they didn’t have a clue how to write about it for children.
So with Horrible Histories, instead of an expert who couldn’t write, they approached a children’s author who knew nothing about history. I get all my facts from research. I do my research and say ‘you will never guess what I discovered’ and ‘phwoar, this is great’. It is actually a simple answer. I say I am not an expert in history and this is why they work. Down the years people have tried to copy Horrible Histories by doing funny fact books but they never get it right because they use experts not writers.
Q: Have you ever found any facts which were too horrible to include?
A: Well the publishers have said so. For example when the Vikings invaded they became settlers and had families here. But these settlers were as vicious as the Vikings and when they invaded a Viking village they would find a Viking child, swing it by its legs and bash its brains out. But when I told the publishers they said ‘we can’t have that’ which is strange as I can’t see it is any worse than some of the other parts which have been included.
On the other hand there are facts which some people feel you can’t talk about, say in World War Two. For example when we came to the television series, we were sitting round the table and we talked all about the bombings and the Blackout and got that sorted. Then we got to the Holocaust and there were six or seven pages and they read them in silence and then said ‘of course we can’t do that’. I am actually quite proud of the fact that television can’t do the Holocaust but I can.
When I went to school it was all about the Romans. It was the Romans who brought civilisation, the Romans who gave us water supplies and aqueducts, the Romans who brought us straight roads – that is what they told us all the time. But the Romans were the most evil people there were. They are the only people who killed people for sport. Thousands of them would go to an arena and watch people killed for sport and they are held up as models of civilisation. And, because teachers are telling them that, children grow up thinking the Romans were really civilised. Horrible Histories tell the truths that, in the past, teachers have cut out from history.
Terry Deary
Q: Why do Horrible Histories work so well on stage?
A: We work really well as a team. BSC actor/director Neal Foster is very knowledgeable and experienced in children’s theatre. BSC has been going for 28 years now. I have been a professional actor for nearly 50 years. So, between us, we know what we are doing. We are not trying to write literary stuff. It isn’t the books on stage, we are not determined to be true to the spirit of the books, we are writing for theatre. So it is fresh and original.
Q: So what’s next for Terry Deary?
A: The Horrible Histories books have been published for 28 years now. Many people who read the books when they were young are in their twenties of thirties now but still remember the enjoyment they got from the books. For those readers I created a new series called ‘Peasants revolting …’ They are a sort of Horrible Histories for adults. ‘Peasants Revolting Crimes’ was published by Pen & Sword in 2019 and the second book, ‘Peasants Revolting’ Lives’, appeared in June 2020. If you enjoyed Horrible Histories when you were younger you may enjoy these adult books.
I am now working on more theatre projects, a TV series. In my hobby of running I have done the Great North Run half-marathon 22 times in its 40 year history. I have written a movie script that is being released for the 40th running of the event. There are also more new Horrible Histories titles rolling out.
Q: After all this research are you now an accidental history expert?
A: Definitely not. I know very little about history because I can’t keep it all in my brain. I have only got about three brain cells. I often forget what I have written because I can’t hold all those facts. I pick up a Horrible Histories book, maybe to revise it, and I read something and think ‘I never knew that!’
But I can be an anorak with facts. I was watching Horrible Histories on television and up came the Vile Victorians and along came Burke and Hare, the body snatchers. And I was jumping up and down and shouting at the television ‘no, they were 1827 – 12 years before Victoria came to the throne. They weren’t Vile Victorians!’ Now that is anorak.
Horrible Histories – Terrible Tudors comes to The Elgiva on Thursday 24th – Saturday 26th March.
Click here to find out more about the show.
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Terry Deary
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Terry Deary
Born 3 January 1946 (age 78)
Sunderland, County Durham, England
Occupation Author
William Terence Deary (born 3 January 1946)[1] is a British children's author of over 200 books, selling over 25 million copies in over 40 languages, best known as the writer of the Horrible Histories series. Since 1994 he has been one of Britain's best-selling authors.[2][3] In 2012, he was the tenth most-borrowed author in British libraries, and was voted Outstanding Children's Non-Fiction Author of the 20th Century by Books for Keeps magazine.[2][4]
Life and career
Deary was born in Sunderland. His father Bill owned a butcher's shop in Hendon, a poverty stricken area of the city and his mother Freda was the manager of a clothing shop. Deary went to Monkwearmouth Grammar School and intensely disliked his school experience, particularly the style of teaching he received.
He worked as a butcher's boy for much of his childhood, helping in the shop from the age of three. He joined the electricity board as a management trainee[5] when he was 18 and later the Theatre Powys drama company in 1972 and as an actor toured Welsh village halls bringing theatre to children.
He qualified as a teacher at the Sunderland's College of Education and taught drama. He was the Theatre Director/County Drama Advisor of the Lowestoft Theatre Centre in Suffolk between 1975 and 1977 - an educationally linked organisation funded by Suffolk Country Council.[6] He began writing in 1976, turning full-time in 1994, with the publication of the Horrible Histories series.[3][1][7][8]
The Horrible Histories series of books are popular among children for their interesting details, vast information and humorous pictures and among adults for getting children interested in history. Books in the series have been widely translated into other languages and imitated. A cartoon series has been made of the series of books and was shown on CITV in 2002. The Horrible Histories live action comedy sketch show of the same name has been shown on CBBC since 2009. Deary himself has made irregular appearances on the show.[citation needed]
Deary received an Honorary Doctorate of Education from the University of Sunderland in 2000. He supports Sunderland AFC.[9][10]
In 2011, he retired from writing children's books after 35 years. He lives in Burnhope, County Durham, England with his wife, Jenny, and their daughter, Sara.[7]
Views on education
Deary is an outspoken critic of schools, which he believes serve no function above keeping children off the street.[11]
Deary has commented: "I've no interest in schools. They have no relevance in the 21st century. They were a Victorian idea to get kids off the street. Who decided that putting 30 kids with only their age in common in a classroom with one teacher was the best way of educating? At my school there were 52 kids in the class and all I learned was how to pass the 11-plus. Testing is the death of education. Kids should leave school at 11 and go to work. Not down the mines or up chimneys, mind, but working with computers or something relevant. Everything I learned after 11 was a waste of time. Trigonometry, Boyle's law: it's never been of any use to me. They should have been teaching me the life skills I was going to need, such as building relationships, parenting and managing money. I didn't have a clue about any of these things at 18. Schools need to change."[12] Deary has also called to "ban Horrible Histories from schools", because "classrooms take all the fun out of his stories".[13]
In 2013, Deary spoke out against public libraries, saying that they "have been around too long", are "no longer relevant" and have "had their day," and derided the Public Lending Right remuneration to authors for library loans. He argued: "we've got this idea that we've got an entitlement to read books for free, at the expense of authors, publishers and council tax payers... We don't expect to go to a food library to be fed. The car industry would collapse if we went to car libraries for free use of Porsches... If I sold the book I'd get 30p per book. I get six grand, [when] I should be getting £180,000."[14]
Selected books
Series
Horrible Histories
Truly Terrible Tales
Master Crook’s Crime Academy
Tudor Chronicles (also known as Tudor Terror)
Tudor Tales
Roman Tales
Egyptian Tales
The Fire Thief
The Knowledge
Pirate Tales
True Stories
Time Detectives
The Spark Files
World War I Tales
World War II Tales
Other books
A Witch in Time
The Ape Escape
Classified
Dangerous Days
All about Bede: the life and times of the Venerable Bede, 672 - 735 AD (1996)
Spooks (1997)
Hat Trick
Hope Street (1980); ISBN 0-304-30514-6
Ghost For Sale (2001)
The Treasure of Crazy Horse (2001)
The Custard Kid (2001)
The Wishing Well Ghost (2002)
Into The Lion's Den (2002)
Footsteps in the Fog (2003)
The Boy Who Haunted Himself (2004)
The Last Viking (2005)
Great big Father Christmas joke book
The Vampire of Croglin
Diary of a murder
INTERVIEW: WITH TERRY DEARY, BEST SELLING ‘HORRIBLE HISTORIES’ AUTHOR
Posted by StageTalk | 19 Jul 2023
Horrible Histories Live on Stage – Terrible Tudors by Birmingham Stage Company
Best-selling Horrible Histories author TERRY DEARY chats to Diane Parkes ahead of Terrible Tudors visit to the Theatre Royal Bath this July staged by Birmingham Stage Company.
When you wrote your first Horrible Histories did you ever imagine the idea would go on to be so successful?
Yes, I think most authors believe their work will be a huge success even though most books disappear from print after a couple of months. It’s that hope that keeps us going. When I wrote my very first fiction book 44 years ago my publisher said, ‘writing is like a sausage machine and you have to keep stuffing in at one end so something comes out the other end – it is like a process’. I kept writing book after book – fifty fiction titles before Horrible Histories came along – but I never imagined I would have a series which would become first of all iconic and secondly that would still be selling more than 28 years later. Roald Dahl has managed that, but I can’t think of anyone else who is still selling so well. What usually happens is that people have sensational ideas and they sell really well for a while but they do tend to come and go. It is a shame you can’t predict which are the ones that will last!
What do you believe is behind the popularity of Horrible Histories?
Nobody had done anything like them before and they filled a desperate need. There were fact books for children but they tended to be written by experts on the subject. They knew their history but they didn’t have a clue how to write about it for children. So, with Horrible Histories, instead of an expert who couldn’t write, they approached a children’s author who knew nothing about history. I get all my facts from research. I do my research and say ‘you will never guess what I discovered’ and ‘phwoar, this is great’. It is actually a simple answer. I say I am not an expert in history and this is why they work. Down the years people have tried to copy Horrible Histories by doing funny fact books but they never get it right because they use experts not writers.
Have you ever found any facts which were too horrible to include?
Well the publishers have said so. For example, when the Vikings invaded they became settlers and had families here. But these settlers were as vicious as the Vikings and when they invaded a Viking village they would find a Viking child, swing it by its legs and bash its brains out. But when I told the publishers they said ‘we can’t have that’ which is strange as I can’t see it is any worse than some of the other parts which have been included.
On the other hand, there are facts which some people feel you can’t talk about, say in World War Two. For example, when we came to the television series, we were sitting round the table and we talked all about the bombings and the Blackout and got that sorted. Then we got to the Holocaust and there were six or seven pages and they read them in silence and then said ‘of course we can’t do that’. I am actually quite proud of the fact that television can’t do the Holocaust but I can.
When I went to school it was all about the Romans. It was the Romans who brought civilisation, the Romans who gave us water supplies and aqueducts, the Romans who brought us straight roads – that is what they told us all the time. But the Romans were the most evil people there were. They are the only people who killed people for sport. Thousands of them would go to an arena and watch people killed for sport and they are held up as models of civilisation. And, because teachers are telling them that, children grow up thinking the Romans were really civilised. Horrible Histories tell the truths that, in the past, teachers have cut out from history.
Why do Horrible Histories work so well on stage?
We work really well as a team. Birmingham Stage Company actor/director Neal Foster is very knowledgeable and experienced in children’s theatre. BSC has been going for 28 years now. I have been a professional actor for nearly 50 years. So, between us, we know what we are doing. We are not trying to write literary stuff. It isn’t the books on stage, we are not determined to be true to the spirit of the books, we are writing for theatre. So it is fresh and original.
So what next for Terry Deary?
The Horrible Histories books have been published for 28 years now. Many people who read the books when they were young are in their twenties of thirties now but still remember the enjoyment they got from the books. For those readers I created a new series called ‘Peasants revolting …’ They are a sort of Horrible Histories for adults. ‘Peasants Revolting Crimes’ was published by Pen & Sword in 2019 and the second book, ‘Peasants Revolting’ Lives’, appeared in June 2020. If you enjoyed Horrible Histories when you were younger you may enjoy these adult books. I am now working on more theatre projects, a TV series. In my hobby of running I have done the Great North Run half-marathon 22 times in its 40-year history. I have written a movie script that is being released for the 40th running of the event. There are also more new Horrible Histories titles rolling out.
After all this research are you now an accidental history expert?
Definitely not. I know very little about history because I can’t keep it all in my brain. I have only got about three brain cells. I often forget what I have written because I can’t hold all those facts. I pick up a Horrible Histories book, maybe to revise it, and I read something and think ‘I never knew that!’
But I can be an anorak with facts. I was watching Horrible Histories on television and up came the Vile Victorians and along came Burke and Hare, the body snatchers. And I was jumping up and down and shouting at the television ‘no, they were 1827 – 12 years before Victoria came to the throne. They weren’t Vile Victorians!’ Now that is anorak.
Deary, Terry
The Worst in the World
Illustrated by Martin Brown Horrible Histories Scholastic, 2023, pp281, [pounds sterling]7.99
9780702323768
History. Horror. Children
This 30th anniversary Horrible Histories release is packed with the usual blood, guts and gore that is oh so enticing to children. Hugely interactive, with engaging comic strips, rhetorical questions, and modern analogies ('the warring states of China were a bit like the World Cup') the fun and bold appearance of this book must not encourage anyone to dismiss it; it is highly informative and very well written with advanced vocabulary. This book organises short bronze, silver, and gold entries for certain topics (e.g. The Worst Emperor; The Worst Olympic Sport) together, giving an interesting, creative, fast paced structure through which even the most reluctant reader can feel a sense of progress and achievement. This fully illustrated book is full of the usual puns and witticisms that old fans enjoy, but which are perfect for a modern audience.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Senior, Jess. "Deary, Terry The Worst in the World." School Librarian, vol. 71, no. 3, autumn 2023, p. 57. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A766964511/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ce864893. Accessed 19 Feb. 2024.